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On May 12, 2023, 20-year-old Madeline Pantoja of Texas was reported missing to the Midland Police Department after disappearing, leaving behind her purse, phone, keys, dog, and car at her home. On May 20, 2023, her remains were located approximately three miles east of County Road 190 and County Road 1160, which is roughly 15 minutes away from her residence.
Midland Police Department reported that following the discovery of her body, 24-year-old Mario Juan Chacon was apprehended and charged with first-degree murder in connection to the death of Madeline Pantoja.
Madeline Pantoja was scheduled to meet a friend the day before she was reported missing
Midland Police Department reported that Madeline was last spotted at 11:00 pm on May 10, 2023, at 1711 West Francis and mentioned that no clothing descriptions were available. Madeline was last seen after a night out with friends in Midland, roughly 300 miles west of Dallas.
KTSM 9 News reported that Madeline Pantoja, who was a bartender at a local restaurant, was to meet her friend, Jasmine Hernandez, on May 11 but did not show up or return her calls. Hernandez told the publication that she was concerned as Madeline did not contact her all day, and it was unusual for her not to respond for more than a couple of hours.
She said:
"It’s very unlike her to cancel plans or just not return calls."
As per Law&Crime, following several unanswered phone calls and text messages, Madeline's friend contacted her family, and a maintenance worker unlocked the door for a welfare check.
On May 18, a group of about 100 people, including Madeline's friends and family, gathered outside the Midland Police Department with candles and signs as many believed that the investigation was not up to the mark and authorities needed to take more action.
The Midland Police Chief Seth Herman stated that the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, the Texas Rangers, and the Midland County Sheriff's Office were all assisting with the investigation.
Loved ones suspect Madeline Pantoja's ex-boyfriend's involvement in her disappearance
Madeline's friends accused her ex-boyfriend, who she had recently broken up with, as he had a key to her apartment. However, he was not publicly identified as a person of interest. According to Madeline's friends, she and her ex-boyfriend previously lived together.
One of her friends, Karen Ramos, told KTSM 9 News:
"We finally got into her apartment and her keys were in there, but the door was locked, and he (the ex-boyfriend) was the only one who had a key."
According to The New York Post, Midland police could not immediately affirm if Mario Juan Chacon was Madeline's ex.
It was also reported that on the night Madeline went missing, neighbors heard a man and woman arguing both inside and outside of her apartment.
As per court records accessed by Law&Crime, Mario faces a murder charge but has not made his first appearance in court yet.
Midland Police Department stated that the investigation into Madeline Pantoja's death remains ongoing. Her cause of death is yet to be determined and an autopsy will soon be conducted in Dallas County.
